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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Gilby, Bill
[mailto:b.gilby@unison.co.uk]<BR><B>Sent:</B> 08 November 2004
14:15<BR><B>Subject:</B> TUFP - Palestinian General Delegation re Trade Fair
<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 PTSIZE="10"
FAMILY="SANSSERIF">1- There should be a limit to …indecency.<BR><BR>Besides
"complaints" organized by the Board of Deputies against Mayor Ken Livingstone's
endorsement of the Palestinian Trade Fair and support from City Hall for its
success, there is , these days , also an "uproar" against an article published
in the British Medical Journal on the devastating effects of the Israeli
occupation on the Palestinian Health System. "Protests" have poured in towards
the Medical Journal and "pressures" have been deployed on the pharmaceutical
industry whose advertisements keep such a prestigious Journal alive. <BR>In the
media and on the satellites , "experts" including the American "peace team"
around Dennis Ross- Dennis the Menace- who all had graduated within the ranks of
the pro-Israeli lobby before monopolizing American Middle East policy, explain
that there might be a window of opportunity for peace now that President Arafat
is out of the way, incapacitated in a Paris hospital. The attempts at
character assassination of Yasser Arafat, which we have witnessed for decades,
continue, relentlessly, to this day. "Arafat is an obstacle to peace and Sharon
is a choir boy".<BR>The Israeli media keeps announcing his death in what is
perceived as psychological warfare. Haven't they heard of restraint or
self-restraint?<BR>Here in London, Betar, the "militant" wing of the Likud
party, threatens to demonstrate against the Palestinian Trade Fair whose success
can be extremely helpful to a Palestinian society and economy vandalized by an
endless and brutal Israeli occupation . There should be a limit to
indecency.<BR>One would hope that the leadership of the British-Jewish community
will make sure that no extreme wing within the community will import
"thuggishness and vulgarity" also to the streets of London.<BR>One would hope
that Betar elements in London will not confuse "militancy and bad
manners".<BR>There should be a limit to …indecency.<BR>We have always expressed
the opinion that any victim in this conflict is a victim too many. Invoking,
like Betar does, only Jewish Israeli victims is a Judeo-centered approach that
forgets that Palestinians have had during the last 4 years more than 5 times as
many fatalities and more than 50 times as many casualties, in jured, permanently
handicapped, mutilated etc.<BR>Our victims are not nameless, faceless,
fatherless, motherless, childless and ...worthless.<BR>But the latest campaign,
again of extremely poor taste, launched by the pro-Israeli inquisition, is
against the BBC radio reporter Barbara Plett .Her guilt:"emotions" and human
feelings". In her report she said: "when the helicopter carrying the frail old
man rose above his ruined compound, I started to cry…without warning. In quieter
moments since, I have asked myself, why the sudden surge of
emotion?"<BR>According to The Jewish Chronicle, "( storm over Arafat broadcast
-JC 5-11-2004)", the broadcast sparked hundreds of e-mail complaints, many
apparently instigated by the American Jewish website "Honestreporting.com,"
which put Ms Plett's remarks on its home page, urging people to complain to the
BBC. Some e-mails were abusive, others identically worded, a BBC official
said".<BR>I still remember the outpouring of emotions during the media coverage
of Rabin's assassination. . In spite of discomfort at his elevation to
Sainthood, with no mention of his major role in the ethnic cleansing of 1948 in
the Lydda-Ramleh area as a Palmach commander and in 1987-1990 as the
bone-breaker of Palestinian youth, we did not say anything then.<BR>In a
difficult emotional period for the Palestinians, one would expect some
self-restraint on the other side. So what if a British journalist showed some
"feeling"? It is to her credit. But there seems to be no limit on indecency.
Dommage.<BR><BR><BR>Afif Safieh<BR><BR>Palestinian General Delegate to the
<BR> United
Kingdom <BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV>
<P align=center>Afif Safieh<BR>Palestinian General Delegate to the
<BR>United Kingdom and to the Holy See<BR><BR>Tel: 020 85630008<BR>Fax:
020
85630058<BR><BR>e.mail:palestinianuk@aol.com<BR>www.palestinianuk.org<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></P></FONT></FONT><BR>
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